


14000605 ½

by StrangeMischief



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Badass, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-10-26 10:57:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20741093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrangeMischief/pseuds/StrangeMischief
Summary: “We’re here,” Tony repeated, with a nod, his voice cracking under the weight of emotion and searing pain. “We’re…We’re…” Tony turned once again, dark eyes, filled with pain, and fear, and rage swinging to settle on Thanos.“We’re the Avengers.”





	14000605 ½

**Author's Note:**

> As always, enjoy :3

_ 14000605 ½  _

_Pain._

How Tony had thought to have known what pain was. How he thought he’d suffered.

How wrong he had been.

Nothing, _nothing, _compared to this. The consuming burn of power stripping him raw. The weighted pull of time on his bones. The sharp stab of mind attacking his head at every angle. The icy rake of space clawing across his flesh. The heavy sorrow of soul striking him to the core. The dizzying spin of reality fading in and out, tinging his vision red.

Tony raised his head, using what felt like every ounce of strength left in his crumbling body, and fixed his gaze on Thanos. He flexed his fingers, the infinity stones gleaming menacingly in the last trickle of the setting sun, and struggled to force out his last quick-thought rebuke.

“I-” Tony rasped, cutting off with a whine as a surge of violet light coursed through his battered body. “I am-” His mouth snapped shut against his will, and he clenched his eyes tightly. His entire being screamed in protest at the idea of looking, speaking, or even _breathing _on top of the anguish that was already peeling him away, layer by layer.

Tony barred his teeth, throat working to force out another attempt of spitting his last words through clenched teeth when…_movement_.

The cool, familiar feeling of metal surrounding his hand faded, leaving his other arm bare to the world from the elbow down. The armor was shifting, he realized, as nanobots scurried across his chest and back into the housing unit. Tony’s fingers twitched as chilly air brushed against his sweat-clad skin, an unsettling feeling of nakedness washing over him as he felt gooseflesh erupt across the exposed flesh.

And then, there was _warmth. _All-consuming, delightful, _heavenly _warmth that, for an instant, somehow banished the overwhelming agony that was the infinity stones’ power rushing through his veins. Rough and covered in odd ridges, the heat source traveled down his wrist before snaking its way across his palm, and then finally lacing its way through Tony’s fingers.

A hand. Someone was holding his hand.

Tony jerked, instinctively, and tried to wrench away. But the hand tightened, and with no time to protest, Tony felt power race across his torso and down his arm. The energy seemed to leap from his fingertips and into the foreign hand, eager to abandon Tony’s ravaged body for a fresher one. A pained roar tore through the air, and Tony flinched, expecting the hand to jerk away, leaving him consumed by the stones’ power once again.

The hand around Tony’s spasmed. It’s owner hissing what sounded to Tony’s muffled hearing to be obscenities, before clamping down forcefully, refusing to relent its hold. Shocked, Tony turned his head, slowly, to face the hand’s owner, too curious to mind the way his head shrieked for death with the movement. He wrenched his eyes open and was greeted with a misty blue gaze that blazed with unyielding determination.

_Stephen. _

A body slammed into him from behind, the sound of metal hitting metal clanking, followed by a decidedly feminine wail, rang faintly beyond the throbbing rush of blood in his ears. A sticky forehead pressed into the back of his neck, and silken hair cascaded over his shoulders like a curtain. Smooth lips whispered tight, frantic prayers against his skin, and arms wrapped around his waist like steel bands. 

_Pepper. _

Arms, small and thin but undeniably strong, snaked around his right side and clung to his torso with bruising strength. The power surged again, branching down and ramming into the small frame clinging to him, and, thankfully, putting an end to the deafening roar in his ears. There was a cry, but it was quickly replaced by an endless stream of desperate, sobbing, pleas. _Please don’t go, Tony, _a quivering voice begged. _I just got back. Please don’t leave. _

_Peter._

Thor raced forward and snagged Tony’s upper left arm, clinging with bone-crushing force as he howled against the menacing red light that shone beneath his skin. Wong took Stephen’s free hand, gritting his teeth and gasping sharply as emerald light wove up his neck like ivy. Clint wound a hand around the crook of Thor’s elbow, dropping his bow with a pained pant as light, the color of flames, raced forward to settle in his chest. Rhodey bit his lip and groaned in anguish as vibrant gold light ran through Pepper’s shoulder and into his palm, curling up his arm in elegant bands. Carol placed a firm hand on Peter’s quivering shoulder, turning to offer Thanos a piercing, defiant look, unflinching as a shot of dusky purple flashed across her jaw before disappearing into her hairline. Bruce snagged the hem of Stephen’s cloak with his good hand, letting out a roar as light engulfed his chest and spread into his already damaged arm.

More stepped forward. Hands were held. Sides embraced. Arms clung to. Shoulders grasped. People sobbed. They screamed. They trembled. Brilliant, vivid colors – violet, scarlet, jade, tangerine, honey, and sapphire – danced across their skin, curled around their fingers, and wove between the strands of their hair. And with each hand, with each tremble, with each new flash of light, Tony felt a part of himself stitch back together, a weight lifted off his shoulders.

A sharp _clang _echoed off the rocky ground, and something round and metallic rolled across the ground in Tony’ peripheral.

A shield.

Strong fingers wrapped around Tony’s wrist, just shy of where his suit had shifted to accommodate the stones, and a string of pained gasps slipped between clenched teeth as icy blue burst spiraled up muscular arms.

“Steve,” Tony rasped, turning his head as far as he dared, needing confirmation that it was really him; he was _really there_. “You’re here?”

“I’m here. _We’re_ here with you this time, Tony,” Steve ground out through the pain. “All of us. _We’re_ _here._”

“We’re here,” Tony repeated, with a nod, his voice cracking under the weight of emotion and searing pain. “We’re…We’re…” Tony turned once again, dark eyes, filled with pain, and fear, and _rage _swinging to settle on Thanos.

_“We’re the Avengers.”_

.

.

.

.

.

_Snap._


End file.
